Operating mechanism for advertising devices.



No. 845,986. y l PA'IRNIRD MAR. 5, 1907.

l I". M. WADSWORTII R I. P. ARPLRRY. OPERATING MRGHANISM POR ADVERTISING DEVICES,

APPLICATION FILED .TUNE 27. 190A.j

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- guarra/iwf 75 No. 845,986. BATBNTED MAR..5,' 1907.

P. M. WADSWORTH & J. P. APPLBBY.

OPERATING MECHANISM PoR ADXIERTISING DEVICES..

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1904.

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i PATENTED MAR. 5,1907.A I E. M. 4WDSWOR'I'H & .T. P. APPLEBY. OPERATING MEGHANISM EUR ADVERTISING DEVICES.

APPLICATION .FILED JUNE 27. 1904.

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THE Noma/s PETERS co., WASHINGTON, u. c,

UNrrnD STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

FRANK M. WADSWORTI-I AND JAMES P. APPLEBY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed June Z7, 1904l Serial No. 214,280.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK M. WADs- WORTH, and J AMES P. APPLEBY, both of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanisms for Advertising Devices, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved mechanism for projecting and withdrawing successively a series of displaycardsdupon which advertising matter may be p ace The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinaiter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a display case or box embodying our invention, taken on the section-line c x of Fig. 3, the shaft and operating-cam being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the top ofthe case, showing a plan view of the mechanism therein, taken on the section-line 'y 'y of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the case, taken on a section-line substantially at right angles to the section-line of Fig. 1, showing the mechanism in the act of raising a card to display it. Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, showing the card in its raised or displayed position. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the cardmagazine at the beginning of its movement. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the position of the operating mechanism when the plunger is about to raise the iirst card of the series. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are similar views showing the different positions assumed by the mechanism when the magazine is at the end of its stroke and is released to return to its original position. Fig. 10 is a detail showing the device for tripping the magazine-operating arm at the end of the movement of the magazine. Fig. 11 is a detail oi the mechanism mounted on the display-case for supporting the pivoted hand.

In the drawing, 2 represents a suitable case or box wherein the operating mechanism is arranged. This box is provided with a removable cover 3, through which access may be had to the card-magazine and the operating mechanism, and a slot 4 is provided in said cover through which the cards to be displayed are projected. To give the cards the appearance of being drawn out of the case, we prefer to provide a mechanical hand 5, having a small wire clip 6 between the fingers, against which the upper ends of the cards strike, and said hand is mounted on an arm 7, pivotally supported on a rod 8, that is carried by links 9, that are adjustably supported on standards 1() by means of collars 11 and thumb-screws 12. A bar 13 connects the links 9, and a spring 14 normally holds the arm 7 and the hand carried thereby in a depressed position. When the card is raised, the hand will be elevated with it to the position indicated in Fig. 4.

Within the case we arrange an open-topped card magazine or receptacle 15, having carrying-wheels 16, that roll upon rails 17, secured to the side of the case. The side walls of the magazine are provided with guideways 18, that are closed at their lower ends, as indicated in Figs. 6 to 9, to prevent the cards from dropping through the bottom of the magazine. A series oi' cards 19 are arranged in suitable 'frames between said guides and are adapted to slide vertically therein and be projected through the slot 4 above the top of the box, where they can be easily seen and read by any one passing by.

A spring-actuated drum is arranged on one side oi' the box and connected With the magazine 15 by a cable 21. The tension ofthe spring in the drum normally tends to wind the cable thereon and draw the magazine toward the left-hand side of the case to the position indicated in Fig. 5. Air-cushion devices 22 are provided near said drum to engage the magazine and take up the shock of contact when it is returned to its normal or starting point after having traveled across the box. The opposite side of the vbox is provided with a spring device 23, which also serves as a cushion at that point. The lower walls of the magazine are provided with a series oi' ratchet-teeth 24, terminating at one end in longer teeth 25 for the purpose hereinafter described, and a pivoted catch 26 is arranged to engage said ratchet-teeth and be held in contact therewith by a spring 27. This catch device is adapted to slide over the teeth of the ratchet when the magazine is moved toward the right and engage said IOO teeth to prevent the drum-spring from returning the magazine to its normal position until the catch is released.

Various` mechanisms may be provided for raising and displaying successively the magazine-cards, but we prefer to provide an operating device substantially as follows: 28 is an electric motor arranged within the casing and connected by a belt 29 with a worm-shaft 30, that engages a worm-gear 31, mounted on a shaft 32. A cam 33 is secured on said shaft 32 and provided with ribs 34 near its periphery. An antifriction-roller 35 is mounted on a lever 36 at a point intermediate to its ends, and one end of said lever is pivotally connected to links 37, attached to averticallymovable plunger 38, having outwardly-turned lugs 39 at its upper end, between which the lower edge of each display-card is engaged and elevated through the opening in the top of the case. The other end of the lever 36 is connected to depending levers 40, that are mounted on a pivot 4l in the wall of the box and have inwardly-curved lower ends 42, that engage the ribs 34. The upper ends of the levers 40 are connected by a rod 43, having a hole to receive a pin 44, secured by a set-screw 45. A U-shaped frame 46 is pivoted at its lower end in the wall of the box and has its cross or connecting bar at the upper end pivotally attached to the inner end of the pin 44. The position of the frame 46 can be changed by the adjustment of the pin 44 in the rod 43.

Arms 47 are pivotally connected to the upper end of the frame 46. A spring 48, attached to the cross-bar between said arms and to the wall of the case, normally holds the frame 46 and arms 47 in a retracted position. A rod 49 connects the inner ends of said arms, and a spring 50 tends to hold them in a raised position in engagement with the ratchet-teeth on the bottom of the magazine.

At a certain predetermined point on the walls of the magazine we prefer to provide inclined lips or flanges 50 in the path of dogs 51, pivoted on said arms 47 and normally held in a raised position by stop-pins 52.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The magazine having been filled and set in the position shown in Fig. 5, the driving mechanism is started, and as the cam 33 revolves the roller 35, engaging the periphery thereof, will impart an oscillating movement to the links 37 and cause a reciprocating movement of the plunger. Each time the plunger is raised it will engage the lower edge of one of the cards and raise it through the slot in the cover above, where the advertisement can be easily seen and read by a person standing near the box or passing by. When the lower ends of the levers 40 contact with the ribs 34, an oscillating movement `will be imparted to them also, and the frame 46 and,

the arms 47 will be actuated, and with each movement of the plunger the magazine will be moved one step toward the right to present a new card to the path of the plunger. During the time that the plunger is lifting or withdrawing a card or allowing it to drop by gravity the magazine will be stationary, but as soon as one card is returned to its normal position and before the plunger begins its upward stroke the magazine will be actuated and moved one step, and every time the plunger rises it will lift a new card until all the cards in the magazine have been exhibited. The initial position of the magazine is shown in Fig. 6, where the plunger appears below the first card at the right-hand end of the box in position to raise it above the box when the mechanism is operated. The rod 49 is shown in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet to advance the magazine one -step toward the right when the frame 46 is oscillated, and the catch 26 is shown in position to lock the magazine against backward movement and to slip over the ratchet-teeth and allow the said magazine to be moved toward the right by the operating mechanism. With each movement of the magazine a new card will be moved into the path of the plunger and raised thereby during the stationary period of the magazine. This operation will be continued until the last card at the left-hand end of the magazine has been exposed. At that time the rod 49 will come in contact with the long teeth 25 and the arms 47 will be drawn down sufficiently so that when projected toward the right the dogs 5l will engage the flanges 50, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 8 and 9, and swing the arms 47 down a suflicient distance against the tension of the spring 50 to disengage the catch 26 from the teeth of the ratchet and allow the spring in the drum 20 to wind up the cord 21 and draw back the magazine to its original position. In Fig` 5 the operatingarms 47 are shown in the position which they assume in tripping the catch 26. As soon as the arms 47 have been withdrawn and the dogs moved out of engagement with the flanges 50 the rod 49 will be raised again into engagement with the ratchet-teeth, as indicated in Fig. 6, and the machine will then be ready to repeat the display of the magazine-cards.

l/Ve claim as our inventionl. rlhe combination, .with an intermittently-moving magazine adapted to contain a series of cards, of mechanism for moving said magazine step by step in one direction, mechanism for automatically releasing said magazine, and mechanism for returning said magazine to its normal position.

2. The combination, with a box or casing having a slot in its walls, of an intermittentlymoving magazine arranged within said box and adapted to contain a series of cards,

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mechanism Jfor moving said magazine step by step in one direction and projecting a card during each stationary period through said slot, and mechanism Jfor automatically tripping said moving means when the last card has been displayed, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a suitable casing having a slot or opening, of an intermittentlymoving magazine arranged Within said casing, cards provided within said magazine, mechanism for projecting said cards, one at a time, through said slot, and a mechanical hand device arranged to engage the upper edge of the card as it is projected through said slot, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with a casing having a slot or opening, of a magazine arranged within said casing and adapted to contain a series of cards, mechanism for intermittently moving said magazine, a pivoted mechanical hand provided over said slot, and a plunger arranged to engage said cards successively to project them through said slot and lift said pivoted hand, substantially as described.

5. The combination7 with a casing, of a magazine' adapted to contain a series of cards, means for moving said magazine step by step in one direction, means for project* ing the cards one at a time, and means -for automatically releasing said magazine to allow it-to return to its normal position, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with amagazine adapted to contain a series of cards, of a ratchet mechanism `for moving said. magazine step by step in one direction, means for projecting the cards one at a time from said magazine, and means for automatically tripping said ratchet mechanism to allow said magazine to return to its normal position.

7. The combination, with an intermittently-moving magazine adapted to contain a series of cards, of a mechanism arranged to move said magazine step by step in one div rectin, a spring device placed under tension by such movement to return said magazine to its initial position when released, means for projecting the cards one at a time from 'said magazine, and revolving cams arranged to engage and operate said moving mechanism and said card-projecting means, substantially as described.

81. The combination, with a boX or casing having a slot in its wall, of a magazine having an open top arranged within said casing beneath said slot, mechanism Jfor moving said magazine step by step beneath said slot, its movement being so timed that during its stationary periods a card will be opposite said slot, means for automatically tripping said moving means a plunger operating through the bottom of said magazine to engage and project a card through said slot during such stationary periods, and mechanism Jfor successively actuating said moving means and said card-operating means, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a magazine and a series of display-cards therein, of a spring mechanism arranged to draw said magazine to the limit of its movement in one direction, mechanism for moving said magazine step by step in the other direction, mechanism for projecting the cards one at a time during the intervals between the movement of said magazine, and means for automatically tripping said mechanism when the last card has been displayed. to allow said magazine to return to its initial position.

10. The combination, with a spring-retracted reciprocating magazine adapted to contain a series of cards and provided with ratchet-teeth 24 and 25, of a catch 26, pivoted arms 47 having a rod 49 yieldingly held in engagement with said teeth, means for operating said arms, dogs 51 pivoted on said arms and engaging stops 52, and flanges 50 provided in the path of said dogs, substantially as described.

1l. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a plunger, of a cam having a rib, lever 36 pivotally connected with said plunger and having an antifrictionbearing on said cam, spring-retracted arms provided near said cam, a lever 40 pivoted at a point intermediate to its ends and having one end connected to said arms and its opposite end in the path of' said rib.

12. The combination, with a magazine adapted to contain a series of cards, of means for moving said magazine step by step in one direction, means for projecting the cards one at a time, a motor connected with said moving means, and means for automatically releasing said magazine from said moving means to allow it to return to its normal position whereby the reciprocation of said magazine will be continuous, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of June, 1904.

FRANK M. WADSWORTH. JAMES P. APPLEBY.

In presence oit- RICHARD PAUL, M. HAGERTY.

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